A team of engineers and architects met at Leanchoil this morning to progress work on the property’s refurbishment.
After a Scotland-wide competitive bidding process, the Leanchoil Trust announced Inverness-based architects LDN are the successful bidders for the recent refurbishment contract.
The contract covers the phased design and redevelopment of the former Leanchoil Hospital into a thriving health and wellbeing centre for community benefit.
Speaking after confirming the contract award, chair of the Leanchoil Trust, Marianne Nicolson, said all the trustees were pleased with the outcome.
Significant interest
“There was significant interest in the project from far and wide, but the submission by LDN was a clear winner,” she said.
“With their tender submission and previous experience of delivering multi-faceted heritage projects, LDN showed themselves to be the ideal candidate to help us achieve the community’s vision for this amazing place.”
LDN’s team will lead technical design and delivery planning, ensuring the project meets its goals for sustainability, accessibility, and community benefit.
The development is expected to be delivered in phases due to funding considerations, with initial works focusing on the core building and essential fabric repairs.
During an inspection of the building interior by LDN’s team of structural engineers, architects and other specialists this week, senior partner, Stuart MacKellar, said he was looking forward to the work ahead.
Realising potential
“LDN Architects has a long-established affinity for Leanchoil and the wider Forres community, so to have been selected to help the Leanchoil Trust to deliver on the vision it has pioneered over recent years is a very special privilege.
“The former hospital has clear social and heritage value, but we can also see less obvious potential in the building. We look forward to finding ways of realising this potential to the benefit of those who will come to use the facility as a place of health and wellbeing.
“To do that, we will rely on a collaborative approach with our skilled team of specialist consultants and the various partners, funders and stakeholders, in addition to the communities that will all feed into the project’s development.”